


The Nightmares of Parenthood

by Arya_Rayne



Series: Gaps and Silences [2]
Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Alternate Universe, Context comes later, Daybreak Town Sign Language, Deaf!Roxas, Dysfunctional Family, Gen, He brought back three kids, He teaches rest of Org 13, Marluxia knows sign language, Marluxia went to Castle Oblivion, Mute!Sora, Mute!Sora AU, Org 13 as a family, Organisation Family Feels, Repliku gets called Florian in this, Sickfic, The Adults(TM) deal with this, The Kids(TM), The Kids(TM) are sick, This story is an outcome to that, not yet at least, there is no context
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-11
Updated: 2020-07-11
Packaged: 2021-03-05 01:14:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,623
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25175971
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arya_Rayne/pseuds/Arya_Rayne
Summary: In which Xemnas realises that there was something worse than not knowing Daybreak Town Sign Language… That was; not knowing Daybreak Town Sign Language when Sora was staring up at him with tears in his eyes as he tried to communicate his pain. Today was going to be a long day.
Series: Gaps and Silences [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1823869
Comments: 13
Kudos: 43
Collections: Organisation XIII Family Feels





	The Nightmares of Parenthood

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Chrissss](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chrissss/gifts).



Large, tearful, blue eyes stared up at him, pain reflected in their depths, and hands signed out words, but all Xemnas could think about was the fact that Marluxia, the one who was the most fluent in Daybreak Town Sign Language, was currently on a mission. Sora was crying silently, staring up at the man, before he wrapped his arms around his stomach and sat down on his feet, curling up tightly into a ball of sick child. The silver haired man hesitated a moment before he crouched beside the boy and started to rub his back. 

_And now I have a child clinging to me like a lifeline,_ Xemnas thought to himself when Sora suddenly tackled him backwards, crying into his black cloak. The Superior weighed up his options as his hand absentmindedly came up to gently rub at Sora’s brown hair. He could stand up and leave the boy to his pain and clear sickness alone, but that option had become increasingly difficult ever since Marluxia had brought the boy back from Castle Oblivion. Not that he would ever admit it aloud, but that option was now impossible for Xemnas to follow through. His second option was to pick up Sora and take him to Vexen. The scientist had taken to Daybreak Town Sign Language like a parched animal to water, his desire to learn had him studying the sign language that Marluxia knew which was unlike any other sign language that the Chilly Academic had known of. It was also to go without saying, but the blonde scientist knew more about sickness in children than the Superior did. Xemnas would die before he ever admitted that the second option was his only option.

“Sora,” he said to the boy he was comforting without even realising. “Let us go pay a visit to Vexen, then we can go find Xigbar.”

Yes, he would pass the child unto the Freeshooter, Sora often went to Xigbar for advice after all. Unfortunately for him, Sora shook his head and his arms seemed to wrap around Xemnas tighter. The silver haired man took a moment to realise what the young teen wanted.

“You wish to remain with me?” he asked, his eyebrow raising when Sora nodded. Herein lay Xemnas’ second choice to make. 

_“Say no,”_ a voice at the back of his head. _“You are too busy to look after the whelp.”_

Yes, that was correct. Xemnas had things he needed to complete today. He could not care for a sick child. The logic of that voice was sound. He would deny this boy and hand him off to Xigbar. Sora would just need to accept this.

“Very well then,” Xemnas agreed. “I will get the dusks to bring me my work to the Grey Area after we finish with Vexen. Is that more agreeable?”

Saying no to the children was a rather difficult task it seemed. Sora nodded pitifully and Xemnas pointedly ignored the faint prick of worry that wormed its way into his non-existent heart. The Superior picked up the boy in his arms as he stood up. Now he needed to bring the boy to Vexen. Ordinarily the silver haired Nobody would have opened a Corridor of Darkness, or just teleported, but something told him that going through with that course of action would be inadvisable. Which left him needing to walk through the castle. He summoned up a dusk.

“Go to Number Four and tell him that I am bringing Sora to him,” he commanded in a flat voice. The creature disappeared as it always did to follow the new order given to it. Sora shivered against him, and he looked down to see the boy was staring wide eyed at where the dusk had been. The fourteen year old seemed slightly more scared of the creature than he was normally, which was saying something since Sora would normally be found convincing the Lesser Nobodies to help him with pranks.

Xemnas said nothing however as he began his trek past the rooms in the Castle That Never Was. Oddly enough, it was mostly silent in this corner of the castle. Except when they passed Larxene’s room, the silver haired Nobody could hear … three sets of sniffles coming from the behind Nymph’s door. Normally he wouldn’t have stopped, but Sora tugged on his coat, staring up at him pleadingly. In a display of his inability to say no to this child, Xemnas sighed and then turned, shifting the teen in his arms so that he could knock on the door once.

“Whoever is out there better be gone in the five seconds it takes for me to cross this room and open my door!”

Xemnas waited the official thirty seconds that the woman took to yank open her door and blink in surprise as she saw the Superior _holding a tearful Sora in his arms_ waiting for her with his normal expressionless face that really didn’t suit the image of him holding the teen in his arms. Behind the woman, Naminé and Xion were clinging to the woman’s coat with blankets wrapped around their shoulders, looking just as pitiful as Sora. It was clear that they were sick as well. Larxene made an irritated face.

“Xemnas,” she greeted rudely. “I do hope you realise that I am busy.”

“Doing what, precisely?” he asked, rather rhetorically really, because it was obvious. He knew that, Larxene knew that, even the kids knew that. The Savage Nymph, true to her title, answered anyway.

“I am taking care of _my sisters_ ,” she huffed indignantly. “Because, as I am sure you have noticed, you have eyes after all, they are sick, most likely with the same stomach bug afflicting Sora.”

And then the woman turned to Sora, her face softening slightly when he weakly signed something at her. Larxene signed something back before reaching out to ruffle the teen’s hair. She then gave a glare to Xemnas.

“I assume you are taking him to Vexen,” she said in a sickly sweet tone which was reserved for anyone who had gained her annoyance. “You should find Roxas too, I heard him stumble past earlier. Demyx has already dragged Florian and Riku to the chilly bastard. Oh, and I heard that Zexion was sick too. Now, if you will excuse us.”

She slammed the door in Xemnas’ face, and the man didn’t react at all, aside to glance down at Sora who snickered silently. A silver eyebrow rose at the boy who ended up hiding his face in the Nobody’s chest. Snorting in amusement, Xemnas continued. He kept an eye out for Sora’s Nobody as well.

\---

Xemnas heard Roxas before he found him, because the boy was in one of less frequented hallways of the Castle That Never Was, curled up and crying. Why was Roxas here? How long had he been here? Had he been heading to Vexen? These questions didn’t have answers as Xemnas crouched beside the young Nobody, touching his shoulder. Knowledge of the boy’s deafness in relation to Sora’s muteness once again reminded Xemnas of the fact that Marluxia, _the one who was most fluent in Daybreak Town Sign Language_ , was currently _out of the castle_. The Superior tried to squash down the stress that was building up. He didn’t have a heart. He was NOT stressed.

“Sora, can you ask Roxas why he is here?” He requested, in a voice that he would deny having a slightly strained note to it. The boy in his arms started to sign to the boy who was looking up at them from where he was starting to uncurl from the floor.

“Lo-looking… for Marluxia…” the boy whispered in response before he tried to curl up again. Xemnas let out another sigh, once again weighing his options before he shifted Sora to one arm, and in a feat that displayed his strength, the Superior picked up Roxas. 

“I am taking you to Vexen with Sora,” he hummed, knowing that the brown haired boy would translate for him. Xemnas stood up with a quiet huff and continued his walk to Vexen’s lab.

\---

“Let me guess,” Vexen drawled when Xemnas walked in, not even looking up from a sea of paper that he was shuffling through. “Killer headaches, stomach pain, clammy skin, feeling hot, and possibly vomiting?”

He looked up to see the Superior, who was starting to look distinctly uncomfortable holding the two teenage boys that had taken to laying their heads on his shoulders. Vexen raised an eyebrow with amusement before he directed Xemnas to seat the boys on the table at the side of the room. The man started talking about the rest of his patients that day, each word seemingly adding to the weight of the stress on Xemnas’ shoulders.

“It seems most of the children, except Demyx, are afflicted by the same sickness,” the Chilly Academic was saying as he checked over Roxas and Sora. “Larxene dragged Xion, Kairi and Naminé in here first, and while I was looking over the three girls, Zexion came in asking if Nobodies could catch ill. Demyx also brought in Riku and Florian about an hour ago as well. I sent Xigbar to get what I would need to make a medicine, but it is likely they will have recovered by the morning.”

Xemnas let out a quiet breath, whether it was out of irritation or relief was anyone’s guess, but anyone’s guess, but Vexen wisely kept his mouth shut about it. He merely thrust two small measuring cups at the two teens with some kind of medicine in them. Neither boy protested as they normally would have, taking anything from the Chilly Academic.

“Get them to rest, Superior,” the blonde man said, waving a dismissive hand, ignoring the glare that Xemnas sent at his back. “And get out of my lab!”

Sora slipped silently off the table and stood next to Xemnas, pressing into the silver haired Nobody’ as if trying to seek protection from Vexen. That thought made the Superior smirk, as he picked Roxas up again.

“Very well then,” he agreed, his amusement filtering through his tone. “I will send the dusks to you if there is anything more.”

He left the room, taking great satisfaction in the brown haired boy who clung to his cloak, most certainly hiding from the scientist. Vexen scowled as the trio left. Xemnas then took the two boys to the Grey Area where he laid Roxas down on the couch, and then sat down next to him. He was about to call for a dusk to bring him the reports that he needed to read over when the blonde boy crawled closer and placed his head in the Superior’s lap. Almost taking a cue from his Nobody, Sora sat next to Xemnas and curled up into the man’s side.

Xemnas didn’t even try to consider his options this time. He wrapped an arm around Sora and started to brush his hand through Roxas’ hair. There was no fighting this. 

And maybe, just this ONCE, Xemnas would admit that he was worried. No one would ever drag the words from his mouth though.

\---

Xigbar returned to the Grey Area of the Castle around the same time as Marluxia and they were met by the sight of Xemnas sleeping on the couch to the left, Sora, Roxas, Riku and Florian lying over him in some fashion. The Superior had fallen asleep while sitting there, Roxas still lying beside him with his head on the silver haired Nobody’s lap, Sora sleeping under the man’s other arm. It was clear that Riku and his replica had come after Xemnas had succumbed to sleep, since Riku was sleeping beside Roxas, his head on the shoulder opposite to Sora, and Florian was lying across Sora’s legs with his head beside Roxas.

“There is a story here that I am missing,” Marluxia noted quietly, looking at Xigbar in askance. The Freeshooter shrugged his shoulders, shaking his head as a smirk formed.

“The kids got sick, I can only assume Xemnas found Sora and Roxas and completely freaked out.”

“The Superior can freak out?” the Graceful Assassin asked mockingly, despite knowing that no matter how much Xemnas would deny it until the day Kingdom Hearts fell from the sky, he was probably the _most_ protective of the collection of children that had been formed the day he brought Sora, Naminé and Florian back from Castle Oblivion. The silver haired Nobody had most certainly freaked out, if he was _hugging_ Sora and Roxas. A groan came from the foot of the couch, making the pair look over to see Demyx lying against Xemnas’ leg while sitting on the floor.

“Will you two plot somewhere else,” the eldest of the Organisation’s children grumbled. “Or find Zexion so he can complete your evil blackmail image.”

“As if,” Xigbar snorted, despite planning to do just that. “Go back to sleep Demyx. I highly doubt Xemnas will accept this so readily any other day.”

“You both know that is false,” Marluxia snorted. “Now please excuse me, I need to finish a few things then get a proper run down of this situation from Larxene.”

“Good luck with that,” Xigbar laughed as he opened another Corridor of Darkness. “She barricaded herself in her room with the three girls.”

Another snort of amusement escaped Marluxia before he simply walked out of the room, leaving Xigbar to take his opened portal.

\---

The next morning, Xemnas awoke with a splitting headache and a pain in his stomach. His stomach he was content to ignore, but the headache on the other hand… he quickly brought his hand up to his face to clutch at his head. Was this how the children had felt yesterday…? The Superior hissed in pain before he noticed that neither Sora nor Roxas were on the couch with him anymore, he had somehow ended up on his side and there was a blanket over his body.

“Ah, and he awakens!” 

The voice came from his side and barely recognised as Xigbar. Amber eyes shifted to look at the Freeshooter, glare at the scarred face of the Nobody who was grinning at him. Xemnas went to reprimand him when a coughing fit overtook his body. Xigbar was at his side quickly, offering a glass of liquid that the Superior didn’t quite trust was water, because the black haired man was smirking at him.

“Hey now, don’t tell me you caught the kid’s sickness,” he snorted. Xemnas snatched the glass of ‘water’ from Xigbar and downed it, only to choke. There was a hand rubbing his back now and Xigbar’s irritating voice was telling him off cheerfully.

“Of course, the kids noticed when they woke up that you weren’t sleeping soundly, so they worked together to make ya comfortable,” the Freeshooter was saying. “You should feel honoured Xemnas! They care about ya enough to throw a blanket over ya, get Vexen and to scare everyone else away from this room. Maaaaan they really do think of you as their dad, don’t they? I’m kinda jealous.”

“Xigbar.”

“Yeees, Superior.”

“Shut up and let me suffer in silence.”

“I will, can’t promise the kids will though. Have fun!”

Xemnas lay back down on the couch and closed his eyes. The light was irritating his headache. He said nothing about the thought of having the kids fussing over him. He didn’t realise that he was smirking again with a mix of relief at hearing the brats were fine and warmth because those brats did actually care. If he did notice, then he pretended that he didn’t. Because he didn’t have a heart. He couldn’t feel anything. Nothing at all.

**Author's Note:**

> Xemnas seems to be suffering from a severe case of "fatherly feelings". Not that he will ever admit it.
> 
> I asked for a random prompt, and Chrissss challenged me to write a sickfic where The Kids(TM) of my Mute!Sora AU were sick, minus Demyx. The Kids(TM) is the collective of kids in the Organisation, Roxas, Xion, Demyx and Zexion, who are joined in my Mute!Sora AU by Sora, Riku, Kairi, Repliku and Naminé. 
> 
> Here is what came of that random prompt XD
> 
> Worry not, I am working on Gaps and Silences, the story which will basically be how this Mute!Sora AU started.


End file.
